Tag Archives: Almsgiving

Again, we are given time by our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ for the seeds of almsgiving to fall upon our hearing. Again, Christ has given us the sower to imitate, who sowed his seed on good earth, and from it reaped a hundred-fold. For behold the message which is proclaimed from his hands. Behold the theater of almsgiving that has been gathered. For within have been called the lovers of God, and the lovers of honor and the lovers of the poor. Those who fervently desire crowns are called. For God is standing by, He Who grants confirmation, receiving the little money given by the lovers of the poor, and granting them the Kingdom of Heaven. I entreat you, let none of us forfeit this grace. Let none of us neglect this great and world-transcending gift for a little money: no poor man, nor rich man, nor servant, nor free man, nor wise man, nor worker, nor man, nor woman. But I entreat all of you, with diligence let us purchase the Kingdom of Heaven.

-St. John Chrysostom

Lent is not only a time of abstaining from certain foods, but also a time of repentance, a time for increased prayer, and a time of increased almsgiving. In this spirit, I’ve decided to bring you one almsgiving opportunity each week. Admittedly, this first one is self-serving. In August I’ll be going with a group of about 25 people to Project Mexico at St. Innocent Orphanage. We’ll spend a week building a home for a family in need. The trip will cost approximately $1300 per person, and we’re asking for contributions to cover this cost. The funds are used to pay for plane tickets, van rental, one night in a hotel (the rest of the time we camp out on the property of St. Innocent Orphanage), building materials, and other expenses related to building the home. You can make a general contribution to the group, or for those of you that know me, put my name in the comments and your contribution will help cover my personal expense.

“Because of the prosperity that most of us enjoy, it is difficult to truly understand the basic and fundamental challenges that exist just beyond our borders. Only minutes south of one of California’s favorite vacation destinations, you will find Tijuana, Mexico, a city not only of considerable size and history, but of significant human poverty and hardship as well. With a population of over 1.3 million residents, it is sobering to appreciate that nearly half of them live on less than $200 (USD) per month. . . .
Since 1988, Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage has been building secure, safe and weather-tight homes for some of the most impoverished families in northern Mexico. Built strictly by volunteer labor, these homes provide families economic security and hope for a brighter future. While serving these families, the volunteers discover that they have been transformed. Through their service to others, they realize that they have received much more than they had given. To date, we have hosted well over 11,000 volunteers on our 16 acre ranch as we continue to humbly bear the burdens of others in the name of Christ.”